The Cut-off Point Between Man and Nature
by hypereuni
Summary: Sakura expected to come back from the animal rescue center with a Shih-Tzu or a cat. Something furry, cute. Something that could easily fit into her bag. She didn't expect to adopt a Siberian Husky. Or the eight other dogs that came with it. Modern/Fantasy AU.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Something I came up on the fly after binge-reading a webtoon, haha. I put this up on tumblr before, but I've realized that a lot of things didn't really make that much sense plot-wise, so I'm rewriting most of what I've written so far.**

* * *

"Are you really, really sure about this?" Ino said, glancing skeptically at the Siberian husky in the cage. "Because this sounds like a terrible idea, and believe me, you have had some pretty bad ones before."

Sakura snorted. "Please, Pig. This is the best idea I've had in ages. I should have thought about this years ago," she said.

Her friend just gave her a look.

"Do you realize how much work goes into taking care of a pet?" Ino asked. "Oh, right, you don't. Because you _brutally murdered_ the last one." She shook her head mournfully. "Poor Mr. Ukki. Your owner doesn't remember you, but you'll always be in my heart."

"Oh my god, Ino, that was one time_,_" Sakura groaned. "So I can't take care of house plants. Big deal."

"Sakura, you killed a cactus," Ino reminded her. "A _cactus_. Do you know how hard that is?" When Sakura fell into a disgruntled silence, Ino sighed. "Look, I'd feel a lot better if you had a cat instead. At least cats know how to fend for themselves. Why don't you come over to my parents' and pick out one that you like?"

Sakura tried not to make a face. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass," she said. Yamanaka cats gave her the creeps. Ino's family had bred cats for generations, producing litter after litter of purebred felines with bad tempers and insufferable attitudes. They were very visually striking, to be sure, with their bright, sleek coats and eyes that shone like gemstones-a Yamanaka cat always won the Annual Garden State Cat Expo, for as long as anyone could remember, and people flocked from all over the country to catch a glimpse of one-but Sakura had always felt that their beauty was somewhat eerie. She wasn't much of a cat person, anyway.

Ino persisted, however. "Why not? Everyone loves you! Even Fu seems to like you, and he doesn't like _anyone_." Her eyes suddenly glittered. "How do you feel about cat-sitting Fu for a few days, then? I can ask Daddy to bring him over."

Sakura shuddered. "No," she said emphatically. Fu was a strange, strawberry blond cat that had taken a fancy to her the last time she'd visited the Yamanakas, sticking to her side like glue for the remainder of her stay. It would have been cute, if not for the fact that Sakura began to wake up at odd hours in the night to find Fu on her chest, stiff as a statue, yellow, slitted eyes staring unblinkingly at her. Locked doors and barred windows didn't do much to keep him out of her room; she'd only wake up a few moments later to see him perched on her bed, glittering eyes fixed on her face.

Needless to say, Fu didn't make much of a good impression.

Ino pouted. "Look, I know that he can be a little...difficult," she said delicately.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Calling Fu difficult was an understatement, to say the least. Ino caught her mid-eye roll.

"...Fine, he has some weird habits that take some time to get used to," Ino admitted. "But he's better than a guard dog, I swear."

"Mmm," Sakura said noncommittally, quickly switching gears before Ino could fit in another word. "But a DOG, Ino. I could go out for runs with him, and play fetch, and Frisbee, and cuddle with him on the sofa. I mean, think about all the possibilities!" She looked adoringly at the Siberian husky.

"...Have you seriously thought about how you're going to live with a dog that size?" Ino asked, giving the dog another doubtful look. "I mean, you can't even stand living with other _people._"

"At least a dog won't borrow my clothes or fight over the utility bill," Sakura argued back. "Or bring back boyfriends that barge into my room drunk and half-naked at 2 in the morning. It'll work out. Gai brings home animals all the time, and his place is even smaller than mine. Besides, he said that he wouldn't tell Hiruzen, as long as I didn't bring back something too out of place."

"Your crazy neighbor said that he wouldn't tell on you as long as you didn't bring back something that wasn't too eye-catching," Ino hissed. "A full-grown Siberian husky is pretty fucking noticeable, don't you think?"

"Then I'll threaten to tell the landlord about all of the animals Gai keeps at _his_ place," Sakura said calmly. "Besides, I've seen one or two huskies around the neighborhood. They're not that unusual."

Ino rolled her eyes. "I think he was referring to the size, not the breed, Sakura. I don't know about you, but big dogs are hard to hide, especially when your apartment is the size of a shoebox." She gestured towards a wall of small cages housing several white balls of yapping fur. "Ugh. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but what about one of those Shih-Tzus over there? Don't you want something small and cute and easy to hide from your landlord, and not some mangy, one-eyed wolf dog?" She grimaced at the Siberian husky in the cage. "God, he smells _awful_." The dog's ears twitched at Ino's words, but its eyes remained closed.

"I'll pass. Believe me, Ino. I've been here a few times last month and I know that this one's just the dog I want." Sakura turned toward the animal shelter volunteer next to her. "Is he up for adoption? I haven't seen him before."

"Yes, he is!" The boy said eagerly. He was gangly and thin, face pockmarked with old acne scars. "We just got him a few days ago. Did you want to pet him?"

Sakura brightened. "May I?"

"He doesn't bite, does he?" Ino asked, slowly inching away as the boy bent down to unlatch the lock on the cage.

"Oh, no. Kakashi's quite gentle, despite how he looks," the volunteer assured Ino. Ino, now a healthy distance away from the cage, didn't look convinced in the slightest. The dog's pointed ears pricked at the sound of clinking metal and creaking hinges. The dog slowly blinked one bleary blue eye open; the other eye, neatly bisected by a vertical scar, remained closed. He studied them for a moment before closing his eye again and burying his head into the shapeless mass of cloth between his front paws.

"Come outside, Kakashi," the boy cajoled. When Kakashi didn't respond, the volunteer took out a stick of beef jerky from his vest pocket and peeled off the plastic wrapper. He broke off a small piece and placing it a few inches away from the cage, stuffing the rest back into his pocket. At the sound of crinkling plastic, Kakashi shifted his head and cracked one eye open. He licked his chops. His eye darted from the piece of jerky to the volunteer, then back to the jerky.

"Come here, boy," the volunteer repeated. Kakashi narrowed his eye and silently regarded the boy for a moment before. Finally with a soft huff, he languidly stretched before lifting himself up into a a standing position. He paused to drag the sack he was lying on top of to the back of the cage, far out of the boy's arms' reach, before cautiously padding out and poking his head around the bars. After a moment, he seemed to deem it safe to slink out of the cage, narrowly avoiding Sakura's outstretched hand as he skittered behind the boy. "He's a little nervous when it comes to strangers, though."

"Kakashi's an odd name to give to a dog," Sakura commented. She smiled at Kakashi, who eyed her warily behind the boy's legs. "Where's he from?"

The boy laughed sheepishly. "Someone found him wandering around Central Park with a backpack strapped to his back," he said. "They had to call in the bomb squad and everything, but they didn't find anything important in it. It's important to him, though-it took three big guys to hold him down while they went through the bag. They found a wallet with someone's ID in it, so we've just been calling him by that person's name. He answers to it, so…" He shrugged.

Ino stiffened. "Backpack?" She asked, voice tight. "What was he carrying?" At this, the boy cracked a smile.

"Granola bars, beef jerky, a newspaper, a few train tickets and a magazine," he said. "One of the people who reported him to the police claimed that they saw him taking out and reading the newspaper but well, you know." He made a circling motion with his index finger near his head. Sakura laughed, but Ino paled and took a step further back. "You can't be serious," Ino muttered.

"It's a shame that someone left him on the streets," Sakura said, not noticing Ino's reaction. She crouched down. "He's beautiful."

Kakashi ignored her, eyes trained on the human in front of him. As soon the volunteer turned his attention away, Kakashi nosed into the boy's vest pocket and carefully maneuvered the rest of the beef jerky out of its loose plastic wrapping, promptly wolfing it down before dashing back into his cage. Ino and Sakura just watched him, mouths agape.

"Let's go, Forehead," Ino said abruptly. She grabbed Sakura by the arm and began to drag her towards the exit. "Let's face it; in a few days, you'll have patients to look after, long work hours—this one's way too high maintenance for you."

"Oh, Kakashi's very low-maintenance," the boy assured them, not noticing Ino's death glare. "He doesn't do much other than sleep and eat."

"Shut up, you're not helping," Ino snapped. She tugged on Sakura's sweater. "C'mon, Forehead."

Sakura hesitated. "Will he still be here next week?" She asked the boy, looking longingly at Kakashi. The boy shook his head. "If no one comes to adopt him today, Kakashi will be in New Jersey by tomorrow morning," he said. "We just don't have enough room for him here."

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Kakashi's ears perk up.

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but she's not interested," Ino said tersely. She tugged on Sakura's arm. "Come on, Sakura—"

"I'll adopt him," Sakura told the volunteer before Ino could stop her. "I just need to sign a few documents, right?"

"Sakura, _no_," Ino hissed. Sakura ignored her and squatted in front of Kakashi's cage.

"Hey, there," she said softly. Kakashi gave her a distrustful look. "Do you want to come home with me? It's a little cramped, but I promise it'll be a lot of fun. It'll be a lot nicer than a cage in New Jersey, at the very least. What do you say?" At Sakura's words, Kakashi's ears twitched. Then, slowly, he stepped out of the cage and hesitantly sidled over to her. Then, to everyone's surprise, he sat up and offered her his paw.

"Would you look at that!" The volunteer said, amused. "He's never done that to anyone before, let alone a complete stranger."

"It's a deal, then," Sakura said, grinning. She offered her hand, palm facing up. Kakashi gave her a high five and a doggy smile before jumping on her, tail now furiously wagging.

"Oof," Sakura wheezed. "Stop, boy. Stop!" Kakashi ignored her words and commenced to lick her nose, her cheeks, her mouth.

Ino groaned. "I have a really bad feeling about this," she said uneasily.

"What are you talking about, Pig?" Sakura said, arms full of dog. Kakashi licked her cheek. "Awww. Stop that." She scratched the husky under the chin. Kakashi turned his one big, blue eye towards her and whined. "Good boy." He nuzzled her and gave her another sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Okay. That was a little gross."

"_Sakura_."

"Ino, stop worrying. Look, Kakashi likes me! He's big enough to deter thieves and…well. You know." Sakura glanced to see if the volunteer was around before lowering her voice. "Sasuke hates dogs, but a little Shih-Tzu's not going to stop him from breaking in again." When she saw Ino hesitate, Sakura added, "Besides, I can't ask you to stay with me all the time. Sai would kill me."

"Alright, Forehead," Ino said, finally caving in. She still eyed the dog worriedly.

"Relax, Pig. It'll be fine!" Sakura grinned before wrinkling her nose. "You know what, Ino? You're right. He does smell a little, but it's nothing that a bath can't fix." Kakashi lapped at her teeth. "Ugh, no. DOWN, boy."

* * *

Ino wrinkled her nose. "Are you sure he took a bath?" She asked for the umpteenth time. "He smells worse than before, if that's even possible." After Sakura signed all of the paperwork, they had brought Kakashi into Sakura's small one bedroom apartment. Now that Kakashi was here, Sakura had to admit that the place was a little too small for a big dog like him. Kakashi didn't seem to mind, though; he headed straight for the braided rug in the living room and lay down, closing his eyes. Within minutes, they could hear him snoring quietly. The baths must have tired him out.

"I scrubbed him down at least three times. He's probably cleaner than my kitchen," Sakura said, exasperated. It had taken her most of the afternoon to wrestle Kakashi into the tub. Her arms were still sore from holding him down. "What is with you today?"

"...It's nothing," Ino said after a moment, looking at Kakashi contemplatively. "Just thinking about what Daddy used to say about wolves." She looked up at Sakura. "Be careful, Sakura. I don't think it'll be a danger to you, but don't get too attached to it, just to be safe."

"Him, not it," Sakura said, sighing. "Honestly, Ino, I get that you don't like dogs, but just because Kakashi's big and a little aggressive doesn't mean that he's a danger to me."

"Forehead, just...just listen to me for a moment," Ino said. She hesitated, then glanced back at the sleeping dog before lowering her voice. "I don't think that thing is a dog."

"You're kidding, right?" Sakura said, laughing. "What else would he be?"

"I'm being very serious, Forehead," Ino snapped, uncharacteristically serious. "Because if my gut feeling is right, then that thing is going to be more trouble, especially with the whole Sasuke thing going on. Honestly, I should have just brought in Fu when I had the chance."

"...What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, confused. "What does Fu have to do with any of this?"

"It's, just—oh, never mind," Ino sighed. "Don't mind me. It's just nerves and stress."

Sakura patted her friend on the back and gave her a hug.

"Sorry I roped you into my mess. Sai just came back, and you don't even get to spend time with your husband because you're here with me, taking care of my problems."

Ino's arms snaked around her and squeezed her tightly.

"Don't be sorry," Ino said gruffly. "If it's anyone's fault, it's Sasuke's. You shouldn't even be part of this mess." She scowled. "What the hell is he thinking, barging into your life after all these years?"

Sakura didn't respond. Kakashi sleepily thumped his tail against the wooden floorboards.

After a moment of silence, Ino spoke. "I'm sorry if I haven't been giving you much space," she said. "But we've all been worried about you. Especially after that voicemail you left me."

"I know. Thanks, Ino. Really." Sakura hesitated. "I don't know what I would have done if you didn't get here as fast as you did," she said quietly. "I mean, he seemed so different, and his, his eyes, they were-" She gulped, and Ino's arms tightened around her reflexively.

"Hey. It's okay." Ino said gently. "Shhhh. I'm here."

They sat together, Ino still holding her until Sakura managed to get her breathing under control.

"All good?" Ino asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, Pig." Sakura disengaged from Ino's embrace and wiped the wetness off her face. She managed a watery smile. "I shouldn't keep you. Go before I get another angry text from Sai demanding his wife." She gave her friend another hug before herding her toward the foyer.

"...Should I call Hinata and see if she can sleep over at your place?" Ino asked. "He might show up tonight, you know."

"Eh, it's fine, since I have Kakashi now," Sakura said, looking over at Kakashi, who was now wide awake. She smirked. "Sasuke'll hightail it out of the neighborhood once he sees him."

"Oookay," Ino said uncertainly. "Well, text me if you need anything." She glared behind Sakura. "Don't you dare let that scumbag of an ex-fiancé get near her, you hear me?"

Sakura laughed. "Don't be silly, Ino. Kakashi doesn't even know what Sasuke looks like."

Ino hesitated before reaching into her bag and pulling out her phone. "He will in a few seconds," she muttered, swiping on the screen. "Here, boy," she called to the dog, "I have something to show you."

Kakashi reluctantly padded over, nosing Sakura's shoes briefly before turning his attention to Ino.

"I don't trust you," Ino told him. "I don't really have much of a choice."

"INO!"

Ino ignored Sakura. She knelt down to show Kakashi the picture on her phone and Kakashi came closer, tail wagging.

"That," Ino said, pointing her finger at the man standing next to Sakura in the picture, "is Uchiha fucking Sasuke."

Unable to help herself, Sakura glanced at Ino's phone and felt her chest tighten. Ino had pulled up the picture from five years ago, the one from Naruto's birthday celebration, and zoomed in on Sasuke's handsome, expressionless face. That would have been the very last picture Ino would have before his disappearance, come to think of it.

He'd vanished right after the party without explanation. Phone calls went unreturned, texts read but unanswered. When Sakura went into his apartment a few days later, she found all of the rooms empty, walls bare and newly whitewashed, the smell of fresh paint lingering in the air.

But she was stupidly optimistic then, convinced that it was just a case of cold feet, and she had decided to give him a few more days. Sasuke had only agreed to the marriage because it meant more to her than to him, she knew. But as the days trickled by with no sign of Sasuke, Sakura had begun to feel uneasy. She redoubled her efforts to search for her missing lover, looking for clues, hunting down acquaintances that she was sure that he kept in contact with.

If he didn't want to marry, they didn't have to, she had thought desperately. She was fine being friends, or just acquaintances. All she wanted to know about was that he was safe.

Soon, the days turned into weeks, then months, and slowly, the years flew by, and still there was no sign of him.

Then, after five years of radio silence, just as she was ready to pick up the fragments of her broken heart and move on with her life, Uchiha Sasuke had reappeared at her doorstep, still as cold and arrogant and beautiful as before, seemingly untouched by the passage of time.

But time had passed, and things had changed. Including Sasuke.

"You can't let this person come in," Ino said, giving Kakashi a hard look. "Don't you dare let him harm her, you get me?"

"Are you done talking to my dog, Pig?" Sakura said, half-exasperatedly. "Sai just sent me a death threat. He wants you home in thirty minutes."

Ino ignored her and continued to talk to the dog. "She saved you," Ino said quietly. "You know what that means, don't you?"

Kakashi whined in response.

"You're so silly, Pig," Sakura chuckled. She reached down and scooped Kakashi up from the floor. Kakashi whined and thrashed in her arms for a few seconds before giving up.

"I'm just looking out for you, Sakura," Ino said, opening the door. "I hope to God that he's just a dog, though, or things are just going to get more complicated."

"Bye, Pig."

"See you later, Forehead. Let me know how that hot date Hinata set up for you goes, okay?" Ino's voice floated from the hallway.

Sakura grinned. "You bet. Stop that, Kakashi, it tickles." Kakashi nosed her neck again before contentedly laying his head against her shoulder.

The front door slammed shut.


	2. Chapter 2

"Kiba?" Sakura squinted at the man in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

The man pulled out an earbud, eyes widening. "Haruno?" He'd shaven off the stupid goatee he'd cultivated throughout college and trimmed his hair so that it resembled the messy bedhead of his youth. If he hadn't been carrying his shoulder bag with the iron-on patches of his dog Akamaru, Sakura would have never recognized him.

"Woah, is that you, Haruno? I could ask the same of you," Kiba said, grinning at her. "Long time no see." His eyes scanned her from head to toe, and he gave an admiring whistle. "You clean up well. Waiting for someone?"

"Blind date," Sakura replied, giving a slightly embarrassed laugh. "He's probably bailed on me by now, though. It's already been thirty minutes."

"Man, that sucks," Kiba said sympathetically. He checked his phone. "Heh. If it makes you feel better, I think my date's bailed on me too."

"No way!"

"Yeah," Kiba said, shrugging. "Meh. I wasn't expecting anything, anyway. You wanna ditch our dates and hang out together instead?"

"Sure," Sakura agreed, adjusting her shoulder strap. "Haruo sounds like a lame name, anyway," she grumbled. She began to walk to the entrance, but stopped when she didn't hear Kiba's footsteps behind her. She turned around. "Oi, Kiba. You coming or not?"

"Did you just say Haruo?" Kiba said, looking oddly pale.

"Yeah," Sakura said, confused. "Inuzuka Haruo." She stopped when she realized something. "…Wait. You're Haruo?"

"Ssshhh," Kiba hissed, eyes darting around to check if there were any passerby that had overheard their conversation. "Don't say it out loud. It's embarrassing." Sure enough, the tips of his ears were slowly turning red. "Let's just—go somewhere else to talk, yeah? There're too many people here."

It was kind of cute.

Sakura cleared her throat and tried not to think about Kiba's ears. "Sure," she agreed. "Park?"

* * *

This date was turning out to be a lot more entertaining than Sakura had expected it to be.

"So," Sakura said. "'Haruo'? 'Spring man?'" She coughed to hide a snicker, but she was pretty sure that Kiba noticed.

"That's me," Kiba said, sighing. "Inuzuka Haruo. You can blame my sister for that. If it was up to me, I would have introduced myself as Kiba." He glared at her. "You better not tell Naruto, Haruno."

"I'm not making any promises."

"Haruno!"

"Fine, fine," Sakura relented. "I didn't think Kiba was your real name, anyway."

Kiba flushed. "It's a nickname my older sister came up with," he groaned. "Then Shino heard it, and it stuck. At least it sounds better than Haruo."

"Haruo's a perfectly fine name," Sakura hastily assured him.

"Just call me Kiba," Kiba said uncomfortably. "Anyway, I'm surprised to see you back in the singles market, Haruno. Thought you got hitched with what's-his-face. Mr. Pretty Boy."

"Things didn't work out," Sakura said shortly. To her relief, Kiba didn't push for details.

"Eh. Didn't like him much, anyway," he said before mercifully changing the topic. "So, how've you been doing?"

They chatted about their current jobs and life in general. Through their conversation, Sakura learned that Kiba's sister had contacted Hinata to set Kiba up with one of Hinata's friends.

"One-san told me that I was spending too much time with animals and not enough time with my fellow humans," he grumbled. Sakura laughed, amused.

"So you're a veterinarian, now?" she asked.

"Not yet," Kiba corrected, puffing out his chest. "Still in training. I only have a few years left." He stiffened, then sneezed. "Ugh, it's cold."

"Let's head back inside," Sakura suggested. "In the meantime, you can drape this over yourself. Wait a mo." She dug into her shoulder bag before producing a tartan wrap.

"Your bag is ginormous, Haruno," Kiba sniffled, amused. "Achoo!"

"Shush. Here, put this on," Sakura said, tossing the wrap at him. While Kiba obligingly wrapped it around himself, she added, "I hope you don't mind that there's a bit of dog fur on that."

Kiba froze, hands still clutching the cloth. "Dog hair?" He yanked off the blanket. "Ohhh, shit."

"Yeah. Hey, you okay?" Sakura looked at Kiba's face. "You don't look so good." Kiba didn't answer. "Kiba?" Kiba started hyperventilating. "Kiba? What's wrong?"

"C-can't breathe," Kiba gasped, face ashen, struggling to catch his breath. His shaking fingers scrabbled at his front pocket; he pulled out a plastic inhaler and took a few puffs. "J-just give me a second."

Sakura waited until Kiba's breathing came under his control.

"S-sorry to freak you out," He wheezed, looking embarrassed. His cheeks were tinged with pink. "Allergies."

"You okay? Oh my god, Kiba, I'm so sorry," Sakura said, feeling guilty. Kiba shook his head.

"It's all good," he said, sniffling. "But man, that was intense. You keep a dog or something now?"

"Yeah," Sakura admitted. "I went to the shelter to adopt a dog." She grinned, thinking about Kakashi snoozing on the sofa. "He's such a cutie. Even Ino likes him. I think. She was telling him to protect me before she left, that silly pig."

"Really? That's interesting. I'd have thought the opposite. Doesn't she hate dogs?" Kiba laughed. "I saw her hissing at a dog, once. That was pretty funny."

"She seemed to be okay with Kakashi afterwards, so I guess she's fine now," Sakura said, shrugging. She brightened. "Wanna see a pic?"

"Sure."

Sakura flipped through her photo album until she came across a picture of Kakashi happily gnawing at a bone. Kiba stared at the dog intently.

"Do you have any videos of him?" Kiba asked after a moment.

"Tons of them," Sakura said. "Here's one from this afternoon." She tapped on the screen, and Kakashi's static image began to gambol around Sakura's living room. "Sorry, my house is a mess."

"May I?" Kiba said.

"Of course." Sakura handed Kiba her phone and Kiba switched back to the previous image of Kakashi. "What did the shelter say he was?" He asked absently, squinting at Kakashi's feet.

"A Siberian husky."

"He looks like he has some wolf in him," Kiba commented. He zoomed in on Kakashi's feet. "See his feet? They're webbed. His legs are also cow hocked—they turn inward here," he indicated a spot on Kakashi's leg, "and his toes point out, like so. Wolves' legs do that. It's less common in dogs." He zoomed out of the picture. "He has a lot of wolf-like features: narrow chest and shoulders, long, lean legs, straight tail. The blue eye's most likely from the husky side of the family, since wolves don't usually have blue eyes after adolescence. Anyway, h e's pretty skinny for a dog his size." Kiba frowned at Sakura's phone. "You said that he was a rescue?"

"…Kiba, I'm impressed. You actually sound smart," Sakura said, both half-jokingly and half-admiringly.

Kiba scowled. "HEY."

"Kidding, kidding," Sakura said, laughing. "I always knew you had a brain."

* * *

After dinner, Kiba dropped her off in front of her apartment building.

"Thanks for dinner, Kiba," Sakura said. She hesitated before deciding, _oh, what the hell_. "…Hey. Do you want to come up?"

"I think I'll have to pass for today," Kiba said. "You know," he gestured to himself. "Allergies."

"Oh, okay. Do you have time to hang next week? I'll buy dinner, since you bought it this time," Sakura said.

Kiba hesitated. "Um," Kiba said, looking uncomfortable. "I don't think I'll have time. Sorry."

"That's fine," Sakura said, trying hard not to feel disappointed. Kiba reached into his pocket and took out a notepad. He jotted something down, peeled off the post-it note and handed it to her. "Call my sister if you have trouble managing him," he told her, avoiding eye contact. "Wolf-mixes are harder to control than your regular dog, so if anything happens, call her, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks, Kiba."

"See you around, Haruno."

Sakura waited until Kiba's car vanished from view before trudging toward the direction of her building.

* * *

"The date was a flop," she told Kakashi later that night, nursing a bottle of wine. "Why do I even try."

The memory of Sasuke standing in her doorway from a few nights ago appeared in her mind's eye, unbidden. She shook her head to dispel the memory. Something wet bumped against her hand, and she looked down. Kakashi blinked up at her, blue eye looking longingly at the bottle in her hand. He licked his chops.

"It's not for you," she told him, even though it was pointless (he couldn't possibly understand her, could he?) She took another swig, finishing the bottle. Kakashi whined mournfully. Sakura ignored him.

"Can't believe I got friendzoned by Kiba, of all people," she muttered. "Utter ass." Kakashi nosed her knee, and she ruffled his fur.

"C'mon, boy. Off to bed we go," she told him, reluctantly getting up.

When she opened the door to the bedroom, Kakashi headed straight to the bed.

"No, no. Bad boy," Sakura scolded. She pointed at the new dog bed they'd bought earlier in the afternoon. "That's my bed. Yours is over there. Get up, Kakashi."

Kakashi, however, refused to budge. He just looked at her pitifully with his one eye and whined.

"Kakashi."

Kakashi whined again and rolled over on his side.

Sakura sighed, feeling tired and drained and drunk. "I'll let you sleep next to me this once, okay?" She told the dog. "You'd better not shed all over the sheets. And stick to your side of the bed. You can't hog the blankets, either." Kakashi rolled over to lick her face before rolling back to his side. He wriggled happily.

"Night, Kakashi." She reached over to turn off the bed stand lamp.

Sometime in the night, she felt something shift over to her side. She heard something snuffle.

"Kakashi, no," she mumbled. "Go over to your side. It's stuffy." Kakashi didn't respond; instead, he pressed closer to her body. "Errmmphh. I'm spoiling you too much," she told him crankily.

He gave something that sounded like a low, masculine chuckle.

Strange, she though before she drifted off to sleep, Kakashi nestled in her arms.

* * *

She blinked her eyes open when she felt the sunlight on her face. Brand-new morning, brand-new day. She groped around for her phone, and reflexively jerked her hand away when she felt something.

It was probably Kakashi, she thought. She touched it again gingerly. It felt like human skin, warm to the touch. Not Kakashi, then. Certainly not Kiba.

"Ino? Did you break in again?" Sakura yawned, rubbing away the sleep grit from her eyes. Weird. She could have sworn that Ino had gone back to her own house yesterday. "Pig?" She rolled over and froze.

It wasn't Ino who was lying next to her in her bed.

Shocked, Sakura opened her mouth to scream before something clamped over her mouth.

"Don't move," the stranger whispered into her ear, voice hoarse from sleep. "Shhhh."

"Mmmfmmmffmmfmmf," Sakura managed to say indignantly. The stranger sighed, and suddenly, Sakura found herself pinned against her bed under the man's weight, looking up into his face.

He was ridiculously beautiful, but that wasn't the point.

The fact remained that:

1\. He was in her bed

2\. Stark naked

3\. She didn't know how he got there in the first place.

The man sighed. "It's too early in the morning for this," he murmured. One hand still firmly pressed against Sakura's mouth, he snuggled closer to her. "Mm. Stay like this for a little bit, mmkay?"

"MFMFMFMFMFMMF."

The man patted her on the head with his other hand. "Good girl," he said drowsily, eyes already closing. He laid his head against her chest, and within moments, he was sound asleep, blissfully un aware of the fact that there was only a thin summer blanket between their intertwined bodies.

Fucking hell.

More importantly, where the flying _fuck_ was her dog?


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Not completely happy with chapter 2 (I've been rereading it and of course I'm finding all the inconsistencies right after I posted the chapter smh) so expect to see some tweaking here and there later. **

* * *

"Mffmf-ey. Hey," Sakura mumbled, throat raspy from screaming, finally managing to shake free of the hand covering her mouth. God, the man had a grip like a vise. She was pretty sure that if she looked into a mirror, she would see purplish bruises the shape of fingerprints dotting the lower part of her face.

"Get off," she said, coughing slightly. Why was he so fucking heavy? "Did you not hear me? Get off me."

The man's forehead wrinkled when she spoke, but his eyes remained closed and his breathing didn't change its slow, rhythmic pace. Sakura seethed. "Hey. HEY. ASSHOLE." The man stirred, shifting his head slightly, and Sakura flinched and whimpered when she felt something tickle the sensitive part of her neck.

_Calm down, Sakura_, she repeated frantically inside her mind. _Calm down calm down calm_-

"Five mor' minutes," the man mumbled, lips directly on her clavicle; Sakura felt his deep voice rumble inside her bones. He let out something that sounded like a contented sigh and snuggled closer to her. "Mmm. So soft."

Sakura felt her face redden. If she wasn't comfortable before, she definitely wasn't comfortable now.

Then the hand that was covering her mouth slowly slid down her neck, down her shoulder to palm her-

"I said, GET OFF ME, YOU PERVERT," she shrieked, and fueled by anger and shame, but mostly anger, she somehow managed to roll him off her and onto his back in a flurry of blankets and pillows.

"Wha—_oof._"

Sakura quickly straddled him, knees firmly pinning down the man's arms against his body. She looked up for a potential weapon, and when she saw a ballpoint pen on the nightstand, she grabbed it and pressed it against his neck. "What the _fuck_ are you doing in my house, you creep?" She hissed.

The man just blinked blearily, looking at her with unfocused eyes. He squinted at the sunlit curtains covering the window. "Is it morning already? It's cold." He shifted his head a little and winced. "Ah. My head."

"Don't you dare fucking move," Sakura warned him, voice panicky.

"Maa, maa." The man drawled. "No need to be so violent in the morning, Sakura-chan. Won't do any favors for your blood pressure." He punctuated his remark by yawning widely, exposing elongated canines.

"How the fuck do you know my name?" Sakura growled. She shook her head. "Never mind that, what are you doing here? On my bed?" She glared at the man.

The man stared back at her, eyes lidded. "Because you saved me, and you took me home with you," he said simply, giving her an are-you-an-idiot look. "I thought that was obvious."

Sakura frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?" She snapped. "The only way that sentence would make any sense would be if you were Kiba, and you are definitely _not_ him."

"Who's Kiba?" the man asked interestedly. Sakura flushed, remembering what had happened the night before.

"None of your business," she said shortly. "Anyway, I'm reporting you for trespassing, theft, and sexual harassment. I don't know how you got in, but I don't want to see you ever again, you hear me?"

The man made a whining sound from the back of his throat. "But you said that I could stay here," he said plaintively. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Sakura gaped at him. "I found you sleeping naked in my bed, dumbass," she pointed out. "You were on top of me, _without your clothes on_, _without my consent_. How is that not something wrong?" The man glanced down before quickly averting his eyes.

"Judging from our current positions, I'd say that _you're_ harassing _me," _he said, avoiding Sakura's gaze. He seemed to be turning red from the neck up.

...Was he blushing right now? What was there to be embarrassed about?

Sakura looked down. It took her a few long seconds to realize that the blanket covering the man's nudity was nowhere to be found.

She sputtered unintelligibly.

"I would like to make it clear that while I am very grateful that you got me out of a rather nasty bind, this situation is making me very uncomfortable," the man said to the ceiling.

"Please, just…just shut up," Sakura begged the man.

He didn't.

The man finally turned toward her. "I feel violated," he told her, sounding pitiful, but there was a gleam in his eye that told Sakura that he knew exactly what he was doing.

This _fucker_.

* * *

"So, introductions," the stranger said, now mercifully clothed in a pair of hot pink sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt from Uniqlo with a graphic design of Snoopy and Woodstock. Sakura took a closer look at him, finally able to get a better look at the man now that he was properly covered up. He seemed to be in his late twenties, early mid thirties, around 180 cm, with a bedhead that looks like a spikier, more maintained version of Albert Einstein's flyaway hair. He had gray hair and one black eye; the other eye, bisected by a scar running down the middle, remained shut. While he was putting on clothes, he had also decided to wear a black ski mask that obscured the lower half of his face. It was an unfortunate fashion decision that transformed him from _hot guy with a few screws loose in his head_ to _dangerous criminal and possible pervert_.

"Ladies first." He smiled at her, which made him look even more like a creep.

In the back of her mind, Sakura wondered why she hadn't called the police yet. Maybe it was the lingering haze of the alcohol she had consumed last night, or maybe it was just the emotional stress from everything happening all at once: Ino's strange behavior, Sasuke's sudden reappearance, Kiba's tacit, awkward , he was undoubtedly a pervert, but somehow, Sakura had the feeling that this man—whoever he was—was someone she could trust.

Which didn't make any sense whatsoever.

_...Maybe this is a sign that you really should get laid_,_ Sakura,_ a snide voice whispered inside her head. Sakura ruthlessly squashed it down. She glared at the man. "I want answers first," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "First of all, who are you, and what have you done with my dog?"

The stranger scratched his head sheepishly. "Ah, well…" he said, trailing off. "This might take a while to explain."

"I have time," Sakura said flatly. "So. Spill."

The man blinked at her slowly with his one eye. "Well, if you insist," he said. Then, before her eyes, the man disappeared.

In his place, her dog poofed into existence.

Kakashi opened his mouth.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi," He said in the man's clear, baritone voice. "And I am a werewolf."

* * *

Sakura stealthily reached down and pinched her thigh. The pain reminded her that, contrary to any sort of logical thought, she _wasn't_ dreaming about eating breakfast with a werewolf who was masquerading as her dog. She gave up on making sense of the reality around her and turned to Kakashi.

"So," Sakura said, still not quite sure how she had gotten herself into this mess in the first place. "What's a werewolf like you doing in New York City?"

Kakashi stuffed a piece of bread under his mask and chewed thoughtfully. Sakura didn't understand why he insisted on wearing it while eating, but she didn't try to question his bizarre choices. Maybe it was a werewolf thing. Who was she to judge?

"Mmm," he said appreciatively. "Bread." He stuck his hand in the bread basket, only to find nothing but crumbs. He looked at her hopefully. "Is there more?" He asked.

"No, sorry," Sakura replied. "I was going to make some more bread today, when I had time." Sakura shoved the milk and the box of cereal towards Kakashi. "Here, have some cereal instead."

"Okay," the man said, looking downcast. He still took the cereal, though. "I'm trying to get to Siberia," he said absently, pouring Cheerios into the water bowl labeled "Kakashi" in Sakura's neat handwriting.

Sakura nearly spat out her cereal. "Excuse me?"

"Siberia," the man said, unperturbed. He extended the tissue box towards her. "Tissue?"

"Thanks," Sakura said, taking one and mopping up the puddle of milk under her bowl. "...Um. Siberia? That's, uh, quite the journey you've got in front of you." She hesitated. "How…exactly were you planning to get to Siberia?"

"Mmmfmffmmmf," Kakashi mumbled through a mouthful of cereal. He swallowed. "By foot".***

When Sakura looked at him silently, he gave her something that looked like a smile. It was hard to tell through the ski mask. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

Sakura, thinking of several reasons why trekking all the way to Siberia would be a very bad idea for someone as oblivious as this man seemed to be, didn't care to respond. "Do you know the way there?" She asked him finally.

The man shrugged. "Maa, shouldn't be too much of a problem," he said cheerfully. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out an old weathered scroll, unfurling it carefully across the tabletop to reveal a very rudimentary map of the world. "See? I can run across this span of land in my wolf form. It shouldn't take me more than a few months."

Sakura gave him another long, searching look. "Kakashi," she said slowly. "This is a map of the Bering land bridge."

"Yes." Kakashi said. Sakura sighed.

"It doesn't exist anymore," she said, curbing her desire to massage her temples. "It hasn't existed for centuries." She squinted at him, suspicious. "Where on earth did you get a map this old?" She asked. "I mean, everything's just wrong. Where's Africa? And why is North America so big?"

"I took it from a glass box inside a building near the park, two, three miles from here," Kakashi replied, munching on an apple slice. "I snuck in when it was dark and there weren't any humans around. The pack wanted to take a look at the gigantic bones later, but we couldn't get past the bars."

"Pack," Sakura said dumbly. "Wait, wait, wait. Slow down. We can come back to the stealing part later. You just said pack. That's plural." She looked at him, horrified. "There're more of you?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Mah, let's leave this subject until after breakfast," he suggested, but Sakura ignored him.

"If you're hiding something, spill," she threatened. "I'm already doing you a huge favor by letting you crash at my place."

Kakashi pouted. "This really can't wait until after breakfast?" he asked hopefully.

"NO," Sakura said, giving him a death glare. Kakashi gave up and reached under his seat, producing a dusty, worn canvas backpack. Sakura recognized it as the same bag that Kakashi protected back at the shelter. How it had escaped her notice, though, was beyond her.

Kakashi hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to wait until after you're done eating?" He asked.

"Of course I am," Sakura snapped.

"I warned you," Kakashi muttered under his breath. He slowly unzipped the bag. "Meet my pack," he said more loudly, and opened the bag with a flourish.

"...Nothing's happening," Sakura informed him after a few minutes of breathless silence. "You're pulling my leg, aren't you?"

Kakashi's eyes crinkled. "They're a little shy," he said mildly. "Give them a couple of minutes. You might want to step back."

The backpack began to convulse violently, and with a violent bang, the bag exploded, obscuring the whole room with purple smoke. When the smoke cleared up, Sakura flinched when she saw what was surrounding the kitchen table.

Eight dogs of varying shapes and sizes stared back at her, tongues out, tails wagging furiously. The smallest one among them, a pug, jumped onto the table.

"Yo, boss," it said in a deep voice. "Glad to see that you're still kicking. This grub's all for us, right? We're starving."

"Of course it is," Kakashi said, ignoring Sakura's wide-eyed look. "Help yourselves." The other dogs barked excitedly and leapt at the remaining breakfast leftovers. Chaos ensued.

* * *

"...So you have magical dogs," Sakura said, massaging her temples. "Okay, good to know. Um, let's go back to that map you showed me." The sooner she was rid of him, the sooner she could have her apartment to herself. But first, she had some questions that needed to be answered.

"So you're telling me that you stole something from the Museum of Natural History, right?"

Kakashi's eyes creased above his mask. "Maa, I prefer the term "borrowing"."

"You can't be fucking serious."

"Maps are supposed to be functional," Kakashi argued. "This one was waiting for the right person to use it to its full potential." He leaned back against the wall, looking bored. "Anyway. Your point is?"

"You're-you're completely ignoring the Bering Strait," Sakura said, dumbfounded. "The earth doesn't look like this anymore. There are political and physical boundaries now, Kakashi. You can't expect to just waltz across the Bering Strait without a visa and a really good boat to ferry you across the waters."

Kakashi remained silent for a moment, and for a moment Sakura thought that she had finally gotten through to him about the sheer impracticality of his whole, harebrained plan.

Then he opened his mouth.

"What's a visa?" Kakashi asked curiously. Sakura sighed.

This was going to be a very, very long morning.

* * *

NOTES:

***This is funnier in the webtoon this story is based off of because the webtoon's set in Seoul, South Korea. The werewolf there's like "imma run all the way to Siberia," but he has no idea that he has to first make it through the DMZ, then North Korea, and then China before he gets to where he wants to go. lmao.

Kakashi has it a little better, but not by much. The Bering Strait is, and i quote, "one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world." From what I've read online, it's technically legal, but extremely difficult to get permission to sail across the strait.

But what if the Bering Strait freezes over? Apparently, there have only been two times where people have actually crossed over successfully, and this is because the strait doesn't actually freeze over—you have to jump from ice floe to ice floe to get across, and that's only if you're lucky. Please don't try this.

please correct me if anything here is blatantly wrong^


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura rubbed her temples again, wishing that she'd just eaten that pint of ice cream in the fridge instead of emptying a whole bottle of wine by herself. She looked at the kitchen table. There wasn't much left of breakfast at this point, nothing but crumbs and bits of cornflakes strewn across the wooden tabletop. Two of the dogs were currently fighting over the fruit bowl.

"Oi, Uhei! Stop hogging the apple slices!" The shiba inu with the mohawk growled, glaring balefully at the dun greyhound that was gulping down apple slices like there was no tomorrow.

The greyhound ignored him and snapped up the last bit of fruit.

"Uhei, you bastard! MASTER! Uhei ate everything!"

Kakashi, who had sat down at the table to nab that very same piece of apple, also gave Uhei a dark look. "Uhei," he warned. Uhei blinked innocently, cheeks full. The shiba inu began to growl.

"Settle down, Shiba," Kakashi soothed, not taking his eye off Uhei. He reached over to pat Shiba's head, and the dog reluctantly stopped bristling. "We'll just have to get back at him later, don't we?" Kakashi crinkled his eye at Uhei, and Uhei nearly choked on his mouthful of apple.

One of the other dogs, the one that looked like a beagle mix with spectacle marks around its eyes, had already finished his meal and was surveying Sakura's apartment with great curiosity.

"Humans live in such cramped spaces," the bespectacled beagle observed. "Why is that?"

"A combination of unpaid student loans, low wages and sky-high rent," Sakura replied shortly. "The fact that this is New York City doesn't help." True, there was barely enough room to squeeze in a sofa and a table in the living room, but she was lucky to be living by herself. It was near impossible to live in a studio apartment, let alone a one-bedroom, in a decent neighborhood with the wages she was making at her current job. The only reason she was able to rent this place was thanks to the crazy man who lived next door. As soon as she arrived for the apartment viewing, Hiruzen, the landlord, had taken her to see the man who would be her neighbor in apartment #1A. Gai had popped his head out and studied Sakura from head to toe for a few, tense seconds before giving Hiruzen a thumbs-up and a "Yosh! She seems youthful! I'll happily accept her as my neighbor!"

Hiruzen was so relieved to finally be able to fill in the apartment next to Gai's that he'd agreed to rent it out to her for half the price. According to the nosy lady in #2A, apartment #1B had been empty for nearly three years. Apparently, Gai was such a nightmare of a neighbor that apartment #1B was blacklisted by the real estate agencies; he would ring #1B's doorbell at ungodly hours to demand that they compete with him at various activities. With Sakura, however, he seemed to curb his impulsive actions, because Sakura never heard her doorbell ring.

Well, whatever Gai's reasons were, they suited Sakura just fine.

"…Oh," the beagle replied after a long pause. "Well." It cast another glance at its surroundings. "It's a very nice, humble hole," it tried.

"You're very welcome to camp out in the park, if you'd like," Sakura said dryly. "Or go back inside that bag."

The beagle shuddered. "Oh, no," it said hastily. "This is perfect."

The pug, who had hopped on Kakashi's lap moments before, looked up from a half-eaten bowl of cornflakes. "Don't mind Bisuke, miss," it said in its unsettlingly deep voice. "He's a young 'un. Human cities are new to him. He hasn't stepped foot outside the woods until today." It turned back to the cereal and resumed eating.

"Bisuke?" Sakura asked. The beagle raised a paw sheepishly.

"Pleased to meet you, miss," it said. "Bisuke is my name."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "That reminds me, I haven't introduced them to you yet," he said. "Sakura, meet Pakkun."

The pug looked up again from the bowl, crunching loudly.

"Bull."

A large black bulldog with an impressive spiked collar raised its head.

"Urushi."

A small dog with a tuft of spiky hair on its head narrowed its eyes at her.

"And Guruko," Kakashi finished, indicating a snoozing beagle with darker brown ears and longer whiskers than Bisuke's. He patted the still disconsolate shiba inu on the head. "This one is Shiba, and the glutton sitting across the table over there is Uhei. I believe you're already acquainted with Bisuke. Boys, say hello."

There was a ragged chorus of yips and "hellos" from the eight dogs sitting around the table. Bull, who was sitting closest to her, sniffed the air around her before nosing the ruffles of her apron. It snuffled.

"He says you smell like jerky," Pakkun informed Sakura. It licked its chops and looked hopefully at Sakura. "You don't happen to have any more, do you?"

"Sorry, but I'm all out," Sakura said, jabbing her thumb at Kakashi. "You can thank him for that."

Several pairs of eyes landed accusingly on Kakashi. Kakashi coughed.

"It's not like you need to eat," he told the dogs.

The pug whined. "But there's nothing else to do in the bag," it said plaintively. "Besides, we need to protect you, right? We gotta refuel, boss."

"You ate up most of my energy bars, but you still didn't come out to help me when those men came and dragged me to that torture chamber," Kakashi pointed out, rather petulantly. "Sakura had to save me."

"They would have taken us too!" Pakkun protested. The other dogs joined, complaining:

"Yeah! What Pakkun said!"

"Master bad! Master mean!"

"Woof!"

"This is unfair! Boys, lets go on strike!"

"Yeah! Strike! Strike! Stri—"

"Are there more cornflakes?" Uhei piped up. The other dogs stared at him, looking betrayed.

"What?" The greyhound said defensively. "I'm hungry."

Kakashi clapped his hands together, and eight canines swiveled their heads to look at their owner.

"Alright, boys," he said cheerfully, holding the backpack for them to see. "That's enough for now. Into the bag we all go."

The dogs all groaned as one.

"Do we have to?" Guruko groused. "I like this place. It has food. The bag sucks."

"I like Miss Sakura's place," Bisuke said, nodding vigorously. "I like Miss Sakura too," it added hastily, almost as an afterthought.

"What a kiss-up," Urushi mumbled. Sakura agreed.

"Gee, thanks. And here I thought my place was just a humble hole," Sakura muttered.

"It's a nice, humble hole," Bisuke corrected her. "It feels homey. That's a good thing."

Sakura had nothing to say to that.

"I'm still hungry," Uhei whined. In response, Kakashi produced a few granola bars out of thin air and threw it inside the bag.

"All yours," he said, and Uhei and a few of the more impressionable dogs yelped in joy and scrambled toward Kakashi. The others, sensing resistance was futile, reluctantly followed them. There was a soft pop as each dog vanished into the bag.

Soon, only Pakkun and Bisuke were left. Bisuke nosed Sakura's palm before he obediently trotted over to Kakashi and popped out of existence. Pakkun looked at Kakashi sternly.

"Next time, I expect a full course meal," the pug said. "And a bath with some Floral Green shampoo."

"…Fine," Kakashi sighed. He gave Pakkun a hard look. "Remember what I asked you to do."

Pakkun saluted Kakashi with a paw.

"Roger, boss," Pakkun said, and with that, the pug dove into the bag.

There was an audible pop, and Kakashi hastily zipped up the backpack.

"Fuck, I need a drink," Sakura muttered to herself, flopping down on the sofa.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea, after last night," Kakashi said from the table. Sakura glared at him and opened her mouth to say something before her phone buzzed. She picked it up.

"Forehead, you up?" Ino chirped into her ear.

"I wish I wasn't," Sakura grumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Sakura said. "What's up?"

"…Sounds like your hot date didn't go so well," Ino observed. "You sound pissed."

"No, it didn't," Sakura sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Well, Daddy came over with a few things from home, and he brought over something for you. I'm on my way to your place now, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Wait, you're on your way?" Sakura said, startled.

"Yeah, is there a problem?"

"Uh, not really," Sakura said. "Actually, yes, there is. I need to talk to you about something." She glanced around to look for Kakashi, only to find him crouched behind her, face a little too close for her liking.

"Oh my god, Kakashi, don't give me a heart attack!" Kakashi ignored her, eyes fixed on her cellphone.

"What is this?" He asked, gingerly poking the screen.

"Hello? Sakura? Hey, Sakura, what's wrong?"

"Everything's fine, Ino, just—Kakashi, stop trying to grab my phone! I'm trying to call Ino right now," Sakura said, exasperated.

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Call?"

"Yeah, you know. Like, calling someone on the phone—wait, seriously? You don't know what a phone is?"

"Nope," Kakashi said, and Sakura groaned.

"Sakura? That's a guy, right? I heard a guy's voice. Is that Sasuke? It's Sasuke, right?" Ino's panicked voice shrieked from the phone.

"No, Ino, everything's fine, there's no need to panic—"

"SAKURA, I'M COMING OVER, I'M A FEW BLOCKS AWAY, JUST-JUST HOLD ON, OKAY? SASUKE, YOU BASTARD, YOU BETTER NOT HURT HER—"

_Shittttt._

"Ino, I'm good, seriously, don't come—"

**_Click._**

Sakura hung up and turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi, change back, now," she said tersely. "Ino's coming."

Kakashi looked at her, uncomprehending.

"She thinks that my ex is here, and—please, do me a favor and change back into a dog, okay?"

Kakashi hesitated. "That…might be a little difficult," he said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't turn back now."

"…But you just did an hour ago," Sakura said, gobsmacked. Kakashi shrugged helplessly.

"Argghh. Fine, go hide in the bedroom. Quickly," Sakura hissed. She flinched when the doorbell rang.

"SAKURA? SAKURA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OPEN THE DOOR, SAKURA!"

The doorknob jingled.

"Crap," Sakura heard Ino mutter. "Where is that key?"

…She totally forgot that she'd given Ino a spare key, just in case.

The front door opened with a bang.

Ino stood in the doorway, looking disheveled and wild-eyed. When she saw Kakashi, her eyes narrowed, and she threw something into the air, straight at Kakashi.

Something red.

Something with claws, and murderous, slitted, yellow eyes.

"GET HIM, FUU!" Ino yelled.


End file.
